Eddy current (EC) defect view and defect classification

Abstract

Presentations showing eddy current (EC) test results can be generated and displayed. For example, amplitude or phase values ​​associated with an eddy current measurement signal can be presented graphically, such as by aligning an index of the amplitude or phase value with a shape representing the object under test, where the index corresponds to the location on or within the shape from which the eddy current measurement signal was obtained. In another example, the visual attributes of the displayed index of the amplitude or phase value can be assigned based on the defect class, such as using different colors corresponding to different defect classes, when the visual attributes are defined by regions within the impedance plane. The use of attributes to identify defects can be carried out either separately or in combination with alignment with the shape of the index.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Claims of Priority] This patent application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 493,190, filed Mar. 30, 2023, by Leclerc et al., entitled "EDDY CURRENT (EC) DEFECT VIEW AND COLOR PALETTE" (Attorney Docket No. 6409.261PRV), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] This specification generally relates to devices and techniques for non-destructive testing that facilitate eddy current inspection, and more particularly, to devices and techniques for generating a presentation of inspection results in a manner that provides classification of defects, such as by color, or indication of the spatial location of defects on the surface of a test object, or a combination of such classification and spatial location indication, but is not limited thereto.

Background Art

[0003] Non-destructive testing (NDT) can refer to the use of one or more different techniques for inspecting areas on or within an object, for example, to determine whether a scratch or defect exists in the object under test, or to otherwise characterize the object under test. One class of NDT may include the use of an eddy current testing approach, which provides indication of the structure of the object under test, such that electromagnetic energy is applied to the object and the resulting induced current on or within the object is detected, and the value of the detected current (or associated impedance) indicates the presence of cracks, scratches, voids, porosity, or other inhomogeneities. Generally, an eddy current (EC) sensor includes one or more sensor elements, such as an induction coil that can be excited using an alternating current (AC) source. Such a coil (or other electromagnetic sensing element such as a Hall sensor) can be used to receive a signal indicating an induced eddy current in or within a structure. As an example, an eddy current probe can be inserted into a hole, such as a bolt hole, and the eddy current probe can be rotated within the hole or otherwise excited to provide circumferential inspection coverage around the hole. [Overview of the project]

[0004] Eddy current (EC) testing is a versatile non-destructive testing technique. For example, EC testing can be used to identify corrosion, pitting, cracks, or other defects within conductive structures. In one application, an eddy current probe can be used to inspect the area around a hole in a conductive structure. Such testing can be used to identify defects located along the perimeter of a hole, such as burrs, scratches, cracks, or voids, including defects on or inside the inward-facing wall of the hole. Such testing can generally be referred to as EC "bolt hole" testing. In one approach, the EC testing results for a hole can be visualized using a strip chart or impedance plane view. Strip chart displays (e.g., "waterfall" plots) or impedance plane displays can reliably flag the presence of defects. However, the inventors have recognized that such visualizations generally lack user-intuition regarding the actual spatial location of such defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] For example, this subject can be used to generate or provide to a user one or more graphical indicators showing eddy current (EC) inspection results. For instance, the display of defect location or other features can be graphically presented in relation to a graphical representation of the area being inspected. For example, a circular (2D) or cylindrical (3D) presentation can be established when shown by a display aligned with the circular or cylindrical presentation, indicating the defect angular position or indicator, or both, of the magnitude of the eddy current signal display, corresponding to an approximation of the defect depth in the material, and can also indicate the estimation or measurement of the axial location of the defect. In this form, the user viewing the presentation can more easily and accurately indicate (e.g., localize) the physical location on or within the object under test that corresponds to the displayed representation.

[0006] In another embodiment, the display of a defect or other feature may include a classification established or selected based on the type of defect, such as by at least partially using phase and amplitude criteria applied to the complex-valued signal representation obtained from the EC inspection probe. For illustrative purposes, such a classification may be indicated by color (or other visual attributes). As mentioned above, the defect display may be spatially positioned on a representation of the object under test corresponding to the physical location of the feature that generated the display. Such a presentation, providing a visualization of the defect location, may be combined with a color-coded representation of the defect classification. Color is merely an example of an attribute that can indicate a defect class, and other attributes of the graphical display may be adjusted to provide information regarding the defect classification (e.g., one or more of the hue, saturation, brightness, symbol, or size adjustments of the graphical display). Attributes indicating other parameters, such as eddy current measurement signal amplitude, may also be provided simultaneously, such as by modulating the attribute (e.g., increasing or decreasing the brightness or saturation of the color-coded defect based on the display amplitude).

[0007] In one example, a machine implementation method includes generating an eddy current excitation signal to excite a sensor of an inspection probe assembly, receiving an eddy current measurement signal from the inspection probe assembly, determining at least one of the amplitude or phase values ​​associated with the eddy current measurement signal, and generating a presentation (for display to the user, for example) indicating the amplitude or phase value, which includes aligning the index of the amplitude or phase value with a shape representing the object under test, wherein the index corresponds to the location on or within the shape from which the eddy current measurement signal was obtained. The machine implementation method may also include assigning visual attributes to the index based on the class of the defect.

[0008] For example, a machine implementation method may include generating an eddy current excitation signal to excite a sensor of an inspection probe assembly, receiving an eddy current measurement signal from the inspection probe assembly, determining at least one of the amplitude or phase values ​​associated with the eddy current measurement signal, and generating a presentation for displaying the amplitude or phase value to the user, which includes assigning a visual attribute to an index of the amplitude or phase value based on the class of the defect, wherein the visual attribute includes at least one of the brightness, hue, saturation, or pattern corresponding to each class of the defect.

[0009] For example, the machine implementation method described above or elsewhere in this specification may be implemented using a system comprising: a transmitter circuit that generates an eddy current excitation signal to excite a sensor of a test probe assembly; a receiving circuit that receives an eddy current measurement signal from the test probe assembly; a processor circuit; and a memory circuit coupled to the processor circuit, the memory circuit including, when executed by the processor circuit, instructions that cause the system to implement the machine implementation method described above or elsewhere in this specification.

[0010] This summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter of this patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive description of the invention. A more detailed description is included to provide further information relating to this patent application. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This schematic diagram shows an example of a non-destructive testing system that can be used to carry out at least one or more of the techniques shown and described herein. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an eddy current testing probe scanner and associated sensors for bolt hole inspection and other applications. [Figure 3A]This figure shows an example of a plot representing the acquired eddy current measurement signal, and is a conceptual diagram showing the amplitude of the signal component against time. [Figure 3B] This figure shows an example of a plot representing the acquired eddy current measurement signal, and the amplitudes of the two respective signal components are plotted parametrically. [Figure 3C] This figure shows an example of a series of plots representing the amplitude of the signal component against time and the acquired eddy current measurement signal. [Figure 4A] This figure shows an example of a presentation that includes a two-dimensional representation of the shape of the object under test and related indicators of the eddy current measurement signal. [Figure 4B] This figure shows an example of a presentation that includes a three-dimensional representation of the shape of the object under test and related indicators of the eddy current measurement signal. [Figure 5A] This figure shows an example of a parametrically plotted acquired eddy current measurement signal and a plot representing alarm regions corresponding to different classes of defects. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A shows an example of a presentation that includes an alarm region that can be identified using the alarm region shown, and a plot that shows the acquired eddy current measurement signal and an index of the associated defect. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example presentation that includes an alarm area for measurement applications other than bolt hole inspection, and a plot showing the acquired eddy current measurement signal and an index of the associated defect. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates a machine implementation method that aligns an index of amplitude or phase value with a shape representing the object under test, and includes generating a user-presentation display showing the amplitude or phase value from an eddy current measurement signal. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates a machine implementation method that includes assigning visual attributes to indicators displayed based on the defect class, and generating a user-presentation presentation showing amplitude or phase values ​​from an eddy current measurement signal. [Figure 9] This is an example diagram of a machine in which one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein can be implemented. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] In drawings that are not necessarily drawn to an accurate scale, similar numbers may represent similar components in different views. Similar numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings, while not limiting, generally illustrate the various embodiments considered in this document.

[0013] The subject matter described herein can facilitate eddy current (EC) testing by providing presentations for a graphical user interface (GUI) and associated machine implementation tools, such as assisting the user in localizing or classifying (or both localizing and classifying) defects indicated by EC measurements. For example, the subject matter may include generating defect visualization presentations, such as providing indicators of detected defects overlaid on a visualization of at least a portion of the object under test.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a non-destructive testing system (system) 100 that can be used to implement at least one or more of the techniques shown and described herein. An example including the non-destructive testing system 100 is described in general terms. The non-destructive testing system 100 may include a test instrument 140, such as a handheld or portable assembly. The test instrument 140 may be electrically coupled to a probe assembly 150, such as using a multiconductor interconnect 130. The probe assembly 150 may have one or more eddy coil sensors, such as an eddy current (EC) sensor array 152, each containing EC sensors 154A to 154N.

[0015] A modular probe assembly 150 configuration can be used, allowing the test apparatus 140 to be used with various different probe assemblies. Generally, the sensor array 152 includes an EC coil, such that it is located on or within a substrate. The EC coil is electromagnetically coupled to the target 158 ​​(e.g., the test specimen or "object under test"). The test apparatus 140 may include digital and analog circuit configurations such as a front-end circuit 122 that includes one or more transmission signal chains (forming a transmitter circuit), a receiving signal chain (forming a receiving circuit), or a switching circuit configuration (e.g., a transmission / receiving switching circuit configuration). The transmission signal chain may include an amplifier and filter electrical circuit configuration such as providing an alternating current (AC) excitation signal for delivery to the probe assembly 150 through a multiconductor interconnect 130. Flaws 160 associated with the target 158 ​​may be detected by monitoring the impedance or other electrical characteristics associated with each sensor 154A-154N in the sensor array 152, for example, by digitizing an eddy current measurement signal drawn in response to the excitation signal.

[0016] The test protocol can be implemented using coordination between multiple test instruments 140, for example, according to an overall test scheme established from each test instrument 140, or by another remote system such as a computing facility 108 or a general-purpose computing device such as a laptop 132, tablet, smartphone, or desktop computer. The test scheme can be established in accordance with published standards or regulatory requirements and may be implemented, for example, at the time of initial production or repeatedly for ongoing monitoring. Generally, as described elsewhere in this specification, the EC inspection configuration can be established separately, such as being performed by the test instruments 140 in a fully automated or semi-automated manner.

[0017] The front-end circuit 122 can be coupled to and controlled by one or more processor circuits, such as the processor circuit 102 included as part of the test instrument 140. The processor circuit can, for example, cause the test instrument 140 to execute instructions to perform one or more of an EC inspection, processing, or storage of data related to the EC inspection, or otherwise, be coupled to the memory circuit 104 to implement techniques as illustrated and described herein. The test instrument 140 can be communicatively coupled to other parts of the non-destructive inspection system 100, such as by using a wired or wireless communication interface 120.

[0018] For example, the performance of one or more techniques as illustrated and described herein can be achieved on-board the test instrument 140 or using other processing or storage facilities, such as using a general computing device like the computing facility 108 or a laptop 132, tablet, smartphone, desktop computer, etc. For example, processing tasks that would become unduly slow if performed on-board the test instrument 140 or beyond the capabilities of the test instrument 140 can be performed remotely (e.g., on a separate system) in response to a request from the test instrument 140. The test instrument 140 can include a display 110 for presenting configuration information or results, and an input device 112 including one or more of a keyboard, trackball, function keys or soft keys, mouse interface, touch screen, stylus, etc. for receiving operator commands, configuration information, or responses to queries.

[0019] In one example, the probe assembly 150 can include a hole probe sensor configured to be inserted into a hole (e.g., a bolt hole) and rotated either manually or using a rotational actuator (e.g., a bolt hole scanner). The location (e.g., axial direction) of the probe assembly 150 within the hole can be measured manually, such as by using a scale or indicator included as part of the probe assembly 150, or the probe assembly 150 can be coupled to an encoder to record or indicate the axial location value.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example including an eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 for bolt hole inspection and the like. As generally illustrated in FIG. 2, the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 is coupled to a probe assembly that includes a sensor 254 (e.g., a coil). The probe assembly can be rotated by the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 such that it is removable from the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 (e.g., so that various different probe assemblies can be used with the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 depending on the application). The multi-conductor interconnect 230 provides an interface between the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 and the measuring instrument as discussed above. In the example of FIG. 2, the eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 can include an actuator such as a motor to rotate the sensor 254 to provide circumferential coverage inside the hole 258 of the test object, such as for performing a bolt hole inspection. The probe can be translated in the axial direction 262 such that the sensor 254 covers the entire or a desired portion inside the hole 258. The eddy current inspection probe scanner 250 need not include automatic rotation and instead can carry a probe that is translated and rotated entirely manually. One or more encoders can be used to correlate the acquired eddy current measurement signal with one or more of the angular position of the rotation of the sensor 254 or the axial position of the sensor 254. The examples herein are generally applicable to bolt hole inspection, but as discussed below, are also applicable to other eddy current inspection applications.

[0021] Figures 3A and 3B show examples of plots representing acquired eddy current measurement signals, where Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing the amplitude of the signal components against time, and Figure 3B is a schematic diagram showing the parametrically plotted amplitudes of the two respective signal components. Figure 3A may also be referred to as the strip chart 310A view, where the amplitude corresponds to the imaginary part of the complex eddy current measurement signal (e.g., the imaginary part of the impedance signal). Generally, a display 311A ​​in the strip chart 310A that exceeds the threshold 309A, either positively or negatively, can indicate the presence of a defect in the object under test. As discussed above, such a strip chart 310A view does not provide the operator with an intuitive (or any) spatial guide regarding the physical location along the object under test corresponding to the feature that gave rise to the display 311A. Another visualization of the eddy current measurement signal is shown in Figure 3B, the impedance plane 310B view, which shows a parametric plot of the real and imaginary parts of the eddy current measurement signal. The impedance plane 310B can provide additional information about defects, such as when the indicator 311B extends outside the box 309B that defines an alarm or limit boundary. For example, qualitative or semi-quantitative alarm criteria can be applied to distinguish between defect classes in a bolt hole inspection application, as illustrated in Table 1. Table 1 shows semi-quantitative classification criteria for impedance plane EC acquisition.

[0022] [Table 1]

[0023] The criteria shown in Table 1 can correspond to different segments or “sectors” within the impedance plane, and may be referred to as “sector-specific” alarms due to the sector-like shape of such alarm areas (regions) when overlaid on the impedance plane view. Color or other attributes may be associated with each alarm, as discussed below in relation to Figure 5A. Referring back to Figure 3B, the impedance plane 310B view does not provide any indication of the physical location of features or defects leading to display 311A. In yet another example, a “waterfall” view of a series of consecutive eddy current measurement acquisitions can be displayed, as shown in Figure 3C.

[0024] Figure 3C shows an example of a Series 313 plot representing an acquired eddy current measurement signal, where the amplitude of the signal component is shown against time. For example, as discussed above in relation to Figure 2, each strip chart trace shown in Series 313 can correspond to a 360-degree rotation of the sensor around a hole in the object under test. As the eddy current inspection probe moves axially through the hole, each strip chart trace can correspond to a different axial position. Even with such a display of axial positions, interpreting such views can present challenges, as Series 313 does not intuitively show the user the physical location of the defect.

[0025] The inventors have recognized, among other things, that a strip chart time series can be wrapped around a representation of the shape of the object under test. For example, Figure 4A is a schematic diagram showing an example of presentation 415A, which includes a two-dimensional representation 459A of the circular shape of the object under test and associated indicators 417 of the eddy current measurement signal. The eddy current measurement signal can be a continuous strip chart trace (such as interpolated between individual acquired data points) or a series of individual indicators such as dots or other symbols. The representation of the signal can be wrapped around the two-dimensional representation 459A to show the relative or absolute angular position of a defect or other detected feature along the periphery of a hole or other structure corresponding to the location where the eddy current measurement signal (or a portion thereof) was obtained. To aid interpretation, a “ghost” contour or other indicator of the position of the eddy current inspection probe scanner 450 can be overlaid on presentation 415A. For example, the eddy current inspection probe scanner 450 can be fixed to show zero-degree data, against which other information is overlaid.

[0026] In a similar manner to Figure 4A, Figure 4B is a schematic diagram showing an example of presentation 415B, which includes a three-dimensional representation 459B of the shape of the object under test and associated indices 417 of the eddy current measurement signals. The three-dimensional representation 459B can represent the inner wall of a bolt hole or other structure, and a series of acquired strip chart time-series eddy current measurement signals can be wrapped around the three-dimensional representation 459B to visualize the physical locations corresponding to the acquired eddy current measurement signal displays. The axial location of the display in the three-dimensional representation 459B can be established, for example, by using data from an encoder that provides depth information in the axial direction. In another approach, the axial position of the indices 417 along the three-dimensional representation 459B can be established such that each axial location corresponds to a 360-degree rotation of the scanner, and the count of such rotations corresponds to the axial location from which the indices 417 are generated. In this approach, the absolute position of the indices 417 is unknown, but the axial location is approximated by the count. The depth of the defect protrusion corresponding to index 417 may not be known, but an approximation of defect penetration into the object under test or defect severity can be indicated by using the length of index 417 or other visual representations. For example, the index may penetrate further radially outward from the three-dimensional representation 459B in proportion to the size of the vertical (e.g., imaginary) portion of the impedance plane representation corresponding to the index.

[0027] The three-dimensional representation 459B can be partially transparent or rotated in response to user input to visualize displays that may be obscured by the cylindrical representation. In the examples of Figures 4A and 4B, the strip chart representation can, for example, represent the envelope, raw signal, or rectified representation of an acquired eddy current measurement signal. For example, a strip chart representation wrapped around a shape can represent the imaginary part of an acquired eddy current measurement signal.

[0028] One or more “alarm” criteria can be used to determine whether and how the relevant index 417 should be represented on the three-dimensional representation 459B. For example, a threshold or range window can be established, as considered in other examples herein. Different classes of defects can be represented by unique attributes such as providing an index with different colors (e.g., hue), saturation, brightness, or shading (e.g., a pattern or symbol including hatching).

[0029] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram showing an example of plots representing eddy current measurement signals 511A obtained from a parametrically plotted bolt hole inspection, and alarm regions (regions) 509A, 509B, and 509C corresponding to different classes of defects. In this example, since regions define areas within an impedance plane, such regions represent a combination of phase and amplitude criteria (e.g., a range criterion that defines a combination of amplitude and phase ranges). For example, if the obtained eddy current measurement signal 511A falls into alarm region 509A, it may indicate a scratch. If the obtained eddy current measurement signal 511A falls into alarm region 509B (as shown in Figure 5A), it may indicate a fatigue crack, and if the obtained eddy current measurement signal 511A falls into alarm region 509C, a burr may be present. Each of the alarm regions 509A, 509B, and 509C may be assigned a different color or have a different attribute assigned to it. Therefore, the classification of suspected defects may be visually indicated to the user using one of the following display attributes: different colors, different brightness levels, or different visual patterns (e.g., hatching or symbols).

[0030] Such defect classifications using alarm regions 509A, 509B, and 509C can be visualized in a variety of different forms. For example, Figure 5B is a schematic diagram showing an example of a presentation that can be identified using the alarm regions shown in Figure 5A, and that shows the acquired eddy current measurement signals and associated defect indices. A waterfall-like presentation can be generated as shown in region 510A of Figure 5B, where two defect indices 517A and 517B are shown having a first attribute (e.g., red) corresponding to their respective eddy current traces entering alarm region 509B in Figure 5A, and another defect indice 517C is shown having a different second attribute (e.g., blue) because its corresponding eddy current trace enters alarm region 509A in Figure 5A. Similarly, defect indices 517A, 517B, and 517C can be overlaid on the shape representation of the three-dimensional representation 559 of the shape of the object under test in region 510B of Figure 5B in a similar manner to the above considerations related to Figure 4B. Multiple attributes may be modified in the presentation depending on the combination of defect classification and other parameters such as the amplitude of the acquired eddy current measurement signal. For example, color may be used to indicate the defect class, and brightness (e.g., intensity) or color saturation in the presented indicator may indicate the amplitude of the eddy current measurement signal. In one example, the user may adjust one or more of the phase, amplitude, or other criteria, or adjust the classification indicator such as color or another attribute.

[0031] In the examples discussed above, the criteria used for defect classification may be related to specific measurement applications and material classifications (e.g., bolt hole inspection in iron materials). However, the visualization and defect classification techniques described herein are applicable to other eddy current inspection applications, such as low-frequency eddy current (LFEC) and high-frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspection, by using individual EC sensors or eddy current array (ECA) probes. For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a C-scan representation shown in region 610C, with defects classified by indices 617A and 617B, and line 621 indicating selected locations corresponding to the presented strip chart representation in region 610A and the impedance plane representation in region 610B, along with an impedance plane 310B representation of the acquired eddy current measurement signal in region 610B with a defect criterion defined by alarm region 609B, and a C-scan representation shown in region 610C, with defects classified by indices 617A and 617B. As in the example above, multiple alarm areas can be defined to correspond to different classes of defects, and the attributes (e.g., color) of the displayed indicators 617A and 617B can be assigned based on the defect classification.

[0032] Figure 7 illustrates flow 700, which generally illustrates techniques such as machine implementation methods, including generating a user-presentation display showing amplitude or phase values ​​from an eddy current measurement signal, including aligning an amplitude or phase value index with a shape representing the object under test. In process 705 of flow 700, an eddy current excitation signal can be generated, for example, to excite a coil or other sensor in an inspection probe assembly. In process 710, an eddy current measurement signal can be received from the inspection probe assembly in response. Such a measurement signal may have other representations, such as a rectified signal or other signal representing the envelope of the received alternating current (AC) measurement signal, or an amplitude time series representing the imaginary part of the raw signal or a complex digitized signal. In process 715, the amplitude or phase value (or both) associated with the eddy current signal can be determined. For example, as shown and described above, each of the values ​​in the series may be represented as a time series or in a parameterized form, such as represented in an impedance plane. In process 725, a presentation can be generated for display to the user, which shows the determined amplitude or phase value (or a series of such values), such as by aligning an index of amplitude or phase value (or a series of such values) with a shape representing the object under test, as discussed above. In this form, the defect representation in the acquired eddy current signal may be visualized in a manner that indicates where the signal was obtained to help the user physically localize the defect. Optionally, in process 730, visual attributes (hue, brightness, saturation, etc.) of the index may be assigned based on the class of the defect, as discussed elsewhere in this specification.

[0033] Figure 8 shows a flow 800 that generally illustrates techniques such as a machine implementation method, which includes assigning visual attributes of an index displayed based on the defect class and generating a presentation for display to the user showing amplitude or phase values ​​from an eddy current measurement signal. In process 805 of flow 800, an eddy current excitation signal may be generated for example, for exciting a coil in an inspection probe assembly or other sensors. In process 810, an eddy current measurement signal may be received from the inspection probe assembly in response. Such a measurement signal may include, as an exemplary (but not limited) example, a rectified signal or other signal representing the envelope of a received alternating current (AC) measurement signal, or other representations such as an amplitude time series representing the imaginary part of a raw signal or a complex digitized signal. In process 815, the amplitude or phase value (or both) associated with the eddy current signal can be determined. For example, as shown and described above, each of the values ​​in a series may be represented as a time series or in a parameterized form, such as represented in an impedance plane. In process 830, the visual attributes of the index presented to the user may be assigned based on the defect class. For example, such defect classification may be based on the application of range criteria or other criteria to the acquired eddy current measurement signal, as shown and described above (e.g., sector alarm area or one or more numerical ranges defined by amplitude or phase values, or a combination of amplitude and phase values). In process 825, optionally, the user may provide a display that defines criteria for assigning visual attributes of an indicator based on a specified defect classification, or such definitions may be retrieved based on a specified or selected eddy current measurement application (e.g., bolt hole inspection for other inspections) or the material under test (e.g., ferrous vs. non-ferrous).

[0034] Figure 9 is an example block diagram of a machine 900 in which one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein may be implemented. The machine 900 (e.g., a computer system) may include a hardware processor 902 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 904, and static memory 906, which are connected via an interlink 930 (e.g., a link or bus), and some or all of these components may constitute the hardware for the systems and associated implementations discussed above.

[0035] Generally, a hardware processor 902 may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a composite instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a vision processing unit (VPU), a machine learning accelerator, an artificial intelligence accelerator, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a neuromorphic processor, a quantum processor, or at least one of any combination thereof. The processor circuit may further be a multicore processor having two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as "cores") capable of executing instructions simultaneously. A multicore processor includes multiple computing cores on a single integrated circuit die, each of which can independently execute program instructions in parallel. Parallel processing on a multicore processor may be implemented through architectures such as superscalar, VLIW, vector processing, or SIMD, which allow each core to execute separate instruction streams simultaneously. Processor circuits can be emulated as virtual processors or virtual circuits by software running on a physical processor. Virtual processors can behave like independent processors, but are implemented in software rather than hardware.

[0036] Specific examples of main memory 904 include semiconductor memory devices that may include random access memory (RAM) and storage locations within semiconductors such as registers. Specific examples of static memory 906 include non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, RAM, or optical media such as CD-ROM disks and DVD-ROM disks.

[0037] Machine 900 may further include a display device 910, an input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 914 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display device 910, the input device 912, and the UI navigation device 914 may be touchscreen displays. Machine 900 may include a mass storage device 908 (e.g., a drive unit), a signal generation device 918 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 920, and one or more sensors 916 such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. Machine 900 may include an output controller 928 for communicating with or controlling one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.) via a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near-field communication (NFC), etc.) connection).

[0038] The mass storage device 908 may include a machine-readable medium 922 that stores one or more sets of data structures or instructions 924 (e.g., software) that embody or utilize any of the technologies or functions described herein. The instructions 924 may also reside entirely or at least partially in the main memory 904, static memory 906, or hardware processor 902 during their execution by machine 900. In one example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 902, main memory 904, static memory 906, or mass storage device 908 includes the machine-readable medium.

[0039] Specific examples of machine-readable media include one or more non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM or EEPROM) and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, RAM, or optical media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Although machine-readable media are illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine-readable media” may include one or more mediums configured to store one or more instructions 924 (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers).

[0040] The apparatus of machine 900 includes one or more of the following: a hardware processor 902 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 904 and static memory 906, a sensor 916, a network interface device 920, an antenna, a display device 910, an input device 912, a UI navigation device 914, a mass storage device 908, an instruction 924, a signal generation device 918, or an output controller 928. The apparatus may be configured to perform one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein.

[0041] The term “machine-readable medium” includes any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by machine 900, causing machine 900 to implement one or more of the technologies of this disclosure, or causing another device or system to implement one or more of the technologies, or storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable mediums include solid-state memory and optical or magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable mediums include non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, random access memory (RAM), or optical media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some embodiments, machine-readable medium includes non-temporary machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, machine-readable medium includes machine-readable medium that is not a temporary propagating signal.

[0042] Instruction 924 may be transmitted or received via a communication network 926 using a transmission medium through a network interface device 920, for example, by utilizing one of several transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Illustrative communication networks include, among others, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), conventional telephone service (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®), the IEEE 802.15.4 standard family, the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) 4G or 5G standard family, the Universal Mobile Communications System (UMTS) standard family, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, and satellite communication networks.

[0043] In one example, the network interface device 920 includes one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or interconnect) or one or more antennas for accessing the communication network 926. In one example, the network interface device 920 includes one or more antennas for wireless communication using at least one of the following technologies: single input multiple output (SIMO), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), or multiple input single output (MISO). In some embodiments, the network interface device 920 wirelessly communicates using multi-user MIMO technology. The term “transmission medium” should be understood to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by machine 900, and including digital or analog communication signals or other intangible mediums for facilitating communication of such software.

[0044] [Various notes] Each of the non-limiting aspects described above may stand alone or be combined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of the other aspects or subjects described herein.

[0045] The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the detailed description. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments by which the present invention can be carried out. These embodiments are also commonly referred to as “Examples.” Such embodiments may include elements in addition to those illustrated or described. However, the inventors also intend embodiments in which only the illustrated or described elements are provided. Furthermore, the inventors also intend embodiments using any combination or permutation of those illustrated or described elements (or one or more of their embodiments) in reference to a particular example (or one or more embodiments thereof) or in reference to other examples (or one or more embodiments thereof) illustrated or described herein.

[0046] In the event of any conflict between the usage described herein and any document incorporated by such reference, the usage described herein shall prevail.

[0047] In this specification, unless otherwise indicated, the term “or” is used to refer to a non-exclusive OR, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B.” In this specification, the terms “include” and “therefore” may be used as plain synonyms for the terms “equipped with” and “therefore.” Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms “include” and “equipped with” are not limiting; that is, a system, device, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such terms in a claim is still considered to be within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0048] Examples of the methods described herein can be implemented in machine or computer at least in part. Some examples may include computer-readable or machine-readable media encoded with instructions that can be operated to constitute an electronic device and implement the methods described in the above examples. Implementations of such methods may include code such as microcode, assembly language code, or higher-level language code. Such code may include computer-readable instructions for implementing various methods. The code may form part of a computer program product. Such instructions may be read and executed by one or more processors, for example, to enable the implementation of an operation including a method. Instructions may be in any preferred form, but are not limited to source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, and so on.

[0049] Furthermore, in one example, code may be tangibly stored in one or more volatile, non-temporary, or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media during execution or at other times. Examples of such tangible computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact discs and digital video discs), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks, random access memory (RAM), and read-only memory (ROM).

[0050] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the examples (or one or more of their embodiments) described above may be used in combination with one another. For example, by reviewing the above description, other embodiments may be used by those skilled in the art. The abstract is provided to enable readers to quickly confirm the nature of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as meaning that any disclosed features not claimed are essential to any claim. Rather, the subject matter of the invention may lie in fewer features than all the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Accordingly, the following claims are incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, and each claim exists independently as a separate embodiment, and such embodiments are intended to be able to be combined with one another in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined by referring to the appended claims, together with the entire scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A machine implementation method, To generate an eddy current excitation signal and excite the sensor of the test probe assembly, Receiving an eddy current measurement signal from the aforementioned test probe assembly, Determining at least one of the amplitude value or phase value associated with the eddy current measurement signal, A machine mounting method comprising generating a display for showing the amplitude value or the phase value, which includes aligning an index of the amplitude value or the phase value with a shape representing the object under test, wherein the index is generated to correspond to a location on or within the shape from which the eddy current measurement signal was obtained.

2. The machine implementation method according to claim 1, comprising assigning visual attributes of the indicator based on the class of the defect.

3. The machine implementation method according to claim 2, comprising receiving a display from a user that defines criteria for assigning the aforementioned visual attributes.

4. The machine implementation method according to claim 3, wherein the criteria for assigning the aforementioned visual attributes have a range criterion.

5. The machine implementation method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the aforementioned criteria are graphically represented or defined.

6. The machine implementation method according to claim 5, wherein the criteria are graphically represented or defined on a coordinate system having a real part and an imaginary part corresponding to the impedance plane plot of the eddy current measurement signal.

7. The machine implementation method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the range criteria are within different criteria corresponding to different classes of defects.

8. The machine mounting method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the visual attribute has at least one of luminance, hue, saturation, or pattern corresponding to each class of defect.

9. The aforementioned presentation has a two-dimensional presentation including a circular shape, A machine mounting method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a series of indicators of amplitude or phase values ​​are shown at different angular positions around the circular shape, and the series of indicators correspond to eddy current measurement signals obtained at the different angular positions.

10. The aforementioned presentation includes a three-dimensional presentation including a cylindrical shape, A machine mounting method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a series of indicators of amplitude or phase values ​​are shown at different angles and axial positions around the cylindrical shape, and the series of indicators correspond to eddy current measurement signals obtained at the different angles and axial positions.

11. The machine mounting method according to claim 10, wherein the series of values ​​corresponds to at least one axial location measured by an encoder.

12. The machine mounting method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the angular location of the scanner body or other part of the inspection probe assembly is indicated in combination with the series of indicators of amplitude values ​​or phase values.

13. The aforementioned series of indicators include the amplitude of the imaginary signal component from the complex eddy current measurement signal, The machine mounting method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the different angular positions around the circumference of a circular or cylindrical shape include different angular positions of bolt holes defined by the object under test.

14. A machine implementation method, To generate an eddy current excitation signal and excite the sensor of the test probe assembly, Receiving an eddy current measurement signal from the aforementioned test probe assembly, Determining at least one of the amplitude value or phase value associated with the eddy current measurement signal, Assigning visual attributes to the amplitude value or phase value index based on the defect class, A machine implementation method comprising: assigning a visual attribute to which the visual attribute includes at least one of luminance, hue, saturation, or pattern corresponding to each class of defects; and generating a display presentation indicating the amplitude value or the phase value.

15. The machine implementation method according to claim 14, comprising receiving a display from a user that defines criteria for assigning the aforementioned visual attributes.

16. The machine implementation method according to claim 15, wherein the criteria for assigning the visual attributes include a range criterion.

17. The aforementioned criteria are graphically represented or defined in the machine mounting method according to claim 15 or 16.

18. The machine implementation method according to claim 17, wherein the criteria are graphically represented or defined on a coordinate system having a real part and an imaginary part corresponding to the impedance plane plot of the eddy current measurement signal.

19. The machine implementation method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the aforementioned criteria are within different criteria corresponding to different classes of defects.

20. It is a system, A transmitter circuit that generates an eddy current excitation signal and excites the sensor of the test probe assembly, A receiving circuit that receives eddy current measurement signals from the aforementioned test probe assembly, Processor circuit and The processor circuit comprises a memory circuit coupled to the processor circuit, The memory circuit includes an instruction, when executed by the processor circuit, that causes the system to perform the machine implementation method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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